Based in London, Enotria&Coe has established a comprehensive and exclusive range of premium wines and spirits, working with more than 300 producers and supplying over 10,000 independent retailers, fine dining venues, specialist bars, hotels, travel operators and restaurants.
Founded by Remo Nardone in 1972, the company has grown across all supply channels during the past two decades, acquiring Wheeler Cellars in 2008, Great Western Wine in 2010 and Coe Vintners in 2015.
The acquisition includes Enotria&Coe’s 300 employees, its fleet of delivery vehicles and existing inventory, as well as the leases on its warehouse and offices in Park Royal and The Great Wine Co store in Bath.
Moving forward, Majestic is aiming to grow the Enotria&Coe business alongside its existing B2B arm Majestic Commercial, although they will continue to operate as standalone businesses.
The deal represents the most significant strategic investment Majestic has made since its split from Naked Wines and subsequent acquisition by Fortress Investment Group in December 2019.
It currently operates a network of 213 stores across the UK, employing more than 1,000 people.
“This is a landmark day in the history of Majestic, and I’d like to personally thank all of my colleagues for the hard work and dedication that has made this possible,” said Majestic CEO John Colley.
“We’ve had a long-standing ambition to become the UK’s go-to supplier of premium wines, beers and spirits, and the acquisition of Enotria&Coe is a huge statement of our intent in this market.
“We have grown our specialist on-trade business at an impressive rate over the last five years, but this combination will accelerate our strategy by enhancing our wine portfolio, expanding our team of expert sales colleagues and ramping up our logistics capabilities.”
The two firms have competed against each other in recent years, an experience that Colley said informed Majestic’s admiration for Enotria&Coe.
“We are incredibly excited about the opportunities we have to develop that further, win a greater share of the UK market and drive profitable growth,” he added.
“Through this exciting acquisition, and last year’s purchase of Vagabond Wines, we are repositioning the Majestic Group and laying the foundations for long-term, sustainable growth as the UK’s largest premium wine specialist in retail, wholesale and hospitality.”
Meanwhile, Enotria&Coe CEO Julian Momen described the merger as the start of a new era for the business.
“The leadership team, along with our entire organisation, are committed to driving better availability, service and range, for the benefit of our customers and our suppliers,” Momen said.
“Our thanks go out to everyone inside and outside the company who has supported Enotria&Coe throughout the last 52 years – your commitment and loyalty are really appreciated. Our future is now even brighter, and I look forward to working with John and his team to create an amazing, market-leading multi-channel business, which provides an excellent service proposition to its customers.”
